Allianz HL D1: Westmeath earn victory
Joseph Boyle, Westmeath, and Ronan McAteer, Antrim, in Allianz Hurling League action. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Allianz Hurling League Division One Group B
Westmeath 2-18 Antrim 1-15
By Gerry Buckley at TEG Cusack Park
An opportunist goal from former Galway player Davy Glennon in the 60th minute helped Westmeath to pick up their first league points of 2024 with a deserved six-point win over Antrim in wet and windy conditions in Mullingar.
Wind-assisted Westmeath raced into an early three-point lead courtesy of a David Williams free, and scores from play by David O’Reilly and Eoin Keyes, and they were still three points to the good (0-6 to 0-3) when top scorer Williams, who had scored a whopping 2-12 against Tipperary in the last round, converted a 12th-minute ‘65’.
The gap was down to the bare minimum when Joe Fortune’s charges scored a fortuitous goal from the stick of Eoin Keyes in the 23rd minute. The visitors quickly responded with a goal of their own when Niall McKenna, who had earlier been denied a three-pointer by the acrobatics of Noel Conaty, batted the ball to the net from close range at the end of a Scott Walsh delivery.
The home team finished the half strongly to lead by 1-12 to 1-8 at the interval. Remarkably, the Glensmen shot no wides in the first half.
Half-time sub Peter Clarke increased Westmeath’s lead with a quality point soon after the change of ends. Their lead was three points (1-15 to 1-12) when impressive sub Glennon found the net on the hour mark, after a Williams free had dropped just short.
Former All Star nominee Killian Doyle was lively also when sprung from the bench and he chipped in with two points from play. In truth, Westmeath never looked like being overturned in the closing stages despite the best efforts of Darren Gleeson’s troops, who were forced to try unsuccessfully to manufacture a face-saving goal in injury-time.
Scorers for Westmeath: D Williams 0-8 (5fs, 2 ‘65s’), E Keyes 1-2, D Glennon 1-1, D O’Reilly, K Doyle 0-2 each, P Clarke, R Greville, J Boyle 0-1 each.
Scorers for Antrim: C Cunning 0-7 (5fs), N McKenna 1-1, C McCann, N O’Connor, E Campbell 0-2 each, E McFerran 0-1.
Westmeath: N Conaty; D Egerton, T Doyle, C Gaffney; J Gillen, K Regan, J Bermingham; R Greville, S McGovern; N Mitchell, D Williams, O McCabe; E Keyes, J Boyle, D O’Reilly.
Subs: A Craig for Gillen (32), K Doyle for O’Reilly (HT), P Clarke for McGovern (HT), D Glennon for Keyes (52), M Daly for McCabe (66).
Antrim: T Smyth; P Duffin, R McCloskey, P Burke; S Walsh, R McGarry, N O’Connor; E Campbell, E Óg McGarry; R McAteer, R McMullan, N McKenna; C Cunning, C McCann, F McCurry.
Subs: C Boyd for McGarry (45), E McFerran for Walsh (45), C McGarry for McMullan (54), A Bradley for McAteer (58).
Referee: S Hynes (Galway).
